Medication Non-Adherence and Tolerance Breaks Among Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHD

Abstract

Objective: We examine what variables were associated with increased medication non-adherence for adolescents and young adults with ADHD. Method: These variables included sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, race, and ethnicity but also included self-reported reasons for medication non-adherence as well as the type of and degree of self-reported side effects or adverse events. Results: The following variables were statistically significant predictors of medication non-adherence: being White; forgetting to take the medication; not liking the feeling; and desiring a tolerance break from the medication. Conclucion: Tolerance breaks appear to be a novel, self-reported reason for medication non-adherence that emerged among adolescents and young adults with ADHD. Tolerance breaks appear to be relatively common, with one in five adolescents and young adults with ADHD reporting this reason for non-adherence. Future research should further investigate tolerance breaks as a reason for medication non-adherence among adolescents and young adults with ADHD.

Factors Influencing the Medication Adherence in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Its Impact on Healthcare Utilization

“…(Li et al, 2017). Additionally, a recent study by Barnard-Brak et al found White race as a predictor of medication non-adherence among young adults with ADHD in the U.S. (Barnard-Brak et al, 2023). Our study examined the identical relationship between the race and medication adherence, but it was not statistically significant.…”

Drug survival and risk factors for ADHD medication discontinuation in adults: A Danish Nationwide Registry‐based cohort study

“…Treatment non‐adherence may not always be synonymous with a permanent discontinuation. A recent study in adolescents and young adults with ADHD examined self‐reported reasons to medication non‐adherence and found non‐adherence was significantly correlated to ethnicity (being Caucasian), forgetting medication, disliking the feeling of being on medication, and desiring a medication break to avoid medication tolerance or insensitivity 34 …”